ipl-logo

Autonomy In Higher Education Essay

504 Words3 Pages

Autonomy and Performance in Higher Education
By Taufik Mulyadin

My final project is primarily aimed to contribute to the understanding of governmental control and autonomy in higher education and its impact on performance of higher education institutions (HEIs). First, it explores the meaning of autonomy within the dynamic of current policy on higher education. Second, it analyzes research studies indicating relationship between HEI autonomy and performance. Using principal-agent models as a theory in policy reform, I discuss the narrative of reform that shifts from previous beliefs in autonomy of HEI that are constructed on institutional trust and related to professional autonomy, academic freedom. Currently, autonomy has been re-defined …show more content…

As a result of regulatory autonomy, HEIs get equipped with various measures including quality assurance systems, standard of output, performance-based funding systems, and accountability mechanism. If the autonomy of HEIs is to be internationally implemented, it is necessary for adjustment of major models in accordance with peculiar context, culture, and situation rather than taken for granted. My review of existing research studies on the correlation between autonomy and performance in higher education indicates certain conclusions. Clearly, financial resources including budget allocation for higher education, institutional wealth and national income have been identified as a strong predictor of the quality of performance based on the quantity of HEI’s output such as publications and patents. HEIs’ managerial competency in making decision, particularly regarding with financial and human capital management, turns to be a secondary-predictor. In addition, certain other variables, age and size of HEIs, have been found to be significantly interacted with the predictor variables. Obviously, the review of the research studies is in line with the economic assumption that the higher autonomy is granted to HEIs with institutional

Open Document